


Patchwork

by greenmeadow (byzinha)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 104th Training Corps Shenanigans, Aruani Christmas Week, Baking, Coffee, F/M, Gifts, Mild Smut, Mistletoe, Snow, family photo, warmth, we all deserve a happy Annie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-26 18:21:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17146742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byzinha/pseuds/greenmeadow
Summary: (mostly) disconnected short oneshots for the aruani christmas week





	1. Cliché

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a bit late, but I'm finally here with the aruani for the christmas week!  
> everything will be (really, really) short, but I plan on writing for every day of prompt, so keep an eye for it!
> 
> the aot characters are not mine, english is not my first language and I don't have a beta reader

Of course there was only one bed, because life was a cliché like that.

Annie side-eyed Armin, both of them freezing to the bone after the snowstorm caught them halfway through training. They’d known that the cabins were all around the forest, and were hoping to find one of their colleagues already there building a fire, but no — the place was empty, and they had to hurry to light the fire by themselves, and now…

Now there was only one bed in the boxy house, and they’d spent too long in those clothes. She could handle it, but he… probably couldn’t.

“We should strip,” Armin said cautiously, and Annie’s hum of agreement was more of a reflex than anything.

“Body warmth,” she said shrugging off her jacket, making sure to keep her eyes away from him.

Annie wasn’t sure if embarrassment was what she felt at the moment, or if it was excitement. She only looked at him when he moved, and in her underwear she watched Armin unfold the blanket that was by the bed.

“We can take turns to sleep,” he suggested, standing in just as many layers of clothes as she was. “But for now we should…”

He gestured between them and the blanket in his hand and she nodded, stepping closer and getting one of the blanket’s tips.

“Don’t you go thinking anything funny, Arlert,” she chided, flicking at his chest and he hissed, rubbing the spot.

“I won’t,” he replied, but there was a smirk playing on his lips when he opened his arms to welcome her in an embrace that she stepped into before the blanket was around the two of them.

They had one bed, alright. But this would make do.


	2. Exchange

“Here,” she said leaving the package in front of him on the table. It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was full, but he managed to find a seat in her table. “Don’t think anything of it.”

“Don’t worry,” he said pulling the package closer and opening the lid to find a pair of mittens.

“I found it at the flea market,” Annie told him, avoiding eye contact. “Don’t say I never gave you anything.”

“I won’t,” Armin replied, worrying about his food. Without looking, he reached inside his jacket and got a packaged too. “Don’t worry about this either.”


	3. From the books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rumor has it that I voted "mistletoe" just to have an excuse to write this.

It was a lesson about survival that sent the cadets to the woods, where they could learn about trees, poison and aliment. Where they should be able to adapt and find cover when needed. And it put Annie in Armin’s group once again.

She didn’t know why it kept happening, but she wouldn’t file a complaint either. Actually, she enjoyed his presence more than basically anyone in their group; Armin always had something interesting to say, a story to tell, a trick on his sleeve.

“Is that… edible?” Annie asked pointing at a plant right above their heads, and Armin crisped his eyes to take a better look at it. “Help me up here,” she suggested tapping his shoulder.

“Huh? Of course,” he replied, lacing his fingers to ladder her up enough to reach the small fruits.

Annie planted her right feet on his hands and jumped, trusting him to keep her safe, _or else_ — and he knew it very well. She was high enough, but a bit out of balance, so she put her left feet on his shoulder just for leverage before she reached out to get a handful of fruits.

“Annie,” Armin grunted. “Hurry.”

“Stand still, Arlert,” she complained because he was the one losing balance now and that would _not_ help. “Almost… there… _oh!_ ”

The moment she got a hand on the twig of little fruits, Armin trembled under her. She tried to jump out of his grasp in time, but before she could do it, she was falling, her left leg got tangled with his right arm, but somehow… he managed to catch her, his other arm firmly around her waist.

Good thing no one from their group was around to see that disaster.

“Sorry about that,” he said gently, untangling from her, and her feet finally hit the ground. “I might need to do more pushups.”

“You might,” Annie said, looking into his eyes just like he was looking into hers. “Doubt you will, though.”

Armin chuckled.

“Watch me, Leonhardt.”

“Right now?”

He made a face.

“Fuck no,” he replied and she couldn’t help but smile. His eyes went to her hand, to the fruits she was holding, and she looked at it too. _Oh._ “Shit, that won’t do. It’s mistletoe.”

“Poison,” she said flatly, trying not to show any emotion, even though he wouldn’t know, would he?

Armin looked up, then, at the tree and all that mistletoe hanging above them, a cute blush going up his cheeks and ears.

“I read in a book once,” he started, and Annie realized that he _knew_.

Why did she think he wouldn’t? She never met someone who knew so much shit like Armin did, it was obvious that he would know such thing, as silly as it was. After all, he longed to learn about the world outside these walls from a very early age. He still had an arm around her waist and Annie realized that they were standing really close.

“About old traditions from before,” Armin continued, unaware of the way Annie’s mind was rushing with thoughts and how she was looking at him wide-eyed. “And one of them was that people standing under mistletoe should kiss. I don’t know why, though.”

“Armin…” Annie said unconsciously and he looked at her as if he forgot that she was there, blue eyes so clear and vibrant it sent electricity over her.

“Oh, I didn’t mean— Sorry!” he exclaimed shyly, stepping back, but Annie grabbed his wrist pulling him closer. She dropped the fruits and cupped his cheek, feeling that just this once she could be a different kind of bold.

“You’re so silly,” she said and pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his in a gentle but fierce kiss. He held his breath in surprise and without giving him much space she kissed him again.

“You know about the tradition?” he asked in a mesmerized whisper as they stood so close and she smirked mischievously, putting her index finger against her lips as if telling him that it was a secret.

“We should get going, or we’ll get lost from the group,” Annie said stepping back and he followed her. Barely five steps later, he grasped her hand, making her stop.

“Hold on, I— let me do this right,” he said and she frowned. His hand went to her neck and the next thing Annie knew was that Armin closed the space between them again.

And they were kissing one more time, no mistletoe above them.


	4. Serious business

“Let’s start with the dough while Mikasa gets more sugar, okay?” Armin suggested, nose to the recipe book, and Annie yawned bored.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this,” she said leaning against the table. She dipped her fingers in the flour absentmindedly.

“Because it’s Levi’s birthday and Hanji asked us to help—”

Annie groaned loudly, interrupting him.

“Boring,” she said, rolling the flour in her fingers and the palm of her hand. He simply rolled his eyes. “Hey, Arlert.”

“Yeah?”

Armin turned to her right in time and Annie blew the flour on his face, bursting a laugh right after. He’d get extra annoyed if she wasn’t so damn cute when she laughed so carefree like that.

“You think this is a joke?” he asked wiping the flour from his eyes to look at her properly and she nodded, still smiling. “Leonhardt!”

“Try and catch me!” she exclaimed stepping back carefully, and he didn’t think twice before reaching for the bag of flour.

When Mikasa arrived, they weren’t even started on the dough.


	5. Equinox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> careful with the mild smut

It was snowing again. Armin could see the snowflakes falling heavy from the sky through the open window, the short day already saying goodbye and welcoming the darkness of long nights.

Under the sheets, Annie moved closer and sat up behind him, her chest pressing to his back, the hills that were her breasts pressing softly against his skin. Her arms snaked around his torso, thin fingers pressing gently at his abs, going lower as she kissed his shoulder and neck.

“We won’t get out anytime soon,” she whispered in his ear, making Armin take a deep breath. She held his member firmly, jerking him to get fully hard. “Come here, Armin.”

He turned his head towards her and welcomed her kiss, unable to say for how long he waited for this, wondering if he was living a dream — but it couldn’t be a dream, the way she rounded him to sit on his lap, the friction of her skin in his, the feeling of her sex meeting his. It was all too real.

Outside, the weather gave them more time.


	6. Routine

Annie would start the day with a run — not because she enjoyed it, or because she was supposed to train her body as a soldier, but simply because apart from sparring it was the closest she would get to a clear mind. She didn’t like to count how many nightmares she had every night, and a run right in the morning was enough to get her shit together and face another day.

By the time she’d go to the cafeteria for breakfast, still too early for most people, Armin would already be there anxiously scribbling notes as he read a book — sometimes on strategy thinking, sometimes on whatever it was they were studying at the moment, most times about the world they lived in — with a mug of the military’s bland coffee right in front of him.

He was the only person she more than tolerated in their group, and she didn’t know why. They never talked much, didn’t see things from the same perspective or anything, but she found herself… not hating him, and that said something.

“Good morning, Annie,” Armin greeted without glancing up from his book when she sat in front of him, her own bland coffee in her hands. “Had a nice run?”

“Huh,” she answered. No run was nice, but okay.

She put a plate of bread between them, and Armin reached for one, finally looking up at her. Annie took a sip of her coffee.

“Thanks,” he said and she shrugged.

“Whatever. And good morning, I guess.”


	7. Postcard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> future fic to finish this off. it was partially inspired by [this comic by nekoama](https://www.instagram.com/p/BrpkJKDHpp6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)  
> this one could be considered part of a fic that I'll start posting next week, stay tuned.

Alice wasn’t one to fuss, so it was especially annoying that she was doing it _now_ of all time.

“The dress itches, daddy,” she complained for the nth time.

Armin, who’d been trying to fix Ambar’s hair while Annie got the little ones ready, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Ambar giggled.

“Peach, can’t you keep it on for five minutes? As soon as we get this photo done, you can take it out.”

“ _But daddy!_ ” she pouted. “This is boring!”

“No, it’s not,” he answered. “And aren’t you too old to act like a baby?”

“The other day you said I will always be your baby,” she replied smartly and he glared at her.

“Alice, you’re eight. If you’re going to complain all the time, might as well use your time helping your mother with the toddlers.”

His older daughter sighed and looked the other way, crossing her arms, but then the dress was itching and she uncrossed her arms to scratch at her ribs. The dress had been Kaya’s, and she borrowed it just for this special occasion, since Alice was more of a hoodies-and-shorts kind of kid.

“Daddy,” Ambar, their six-years-old said, poking his shoulder, and gestured for him to get closer so she could whisper in his ear. “Alice feels left out.”

Armin side-eyed Ambar and she raised both eyebrows for emphasis. Her golden bangs kept escaping from the pin, and he kind of gave up on it. Contrary to her big sister, she didn’t care to what she was wearing at all and looked too adorable with the blue dress Hitch gave to her, the perfect match to her eyes. Out of their four kids, she was the one who looked like him the most.

He looked at Alice, who refused to look at him and refused to go aid Annie. She’d been of great help after Adam was born (too early, surprising everyone), and acted really mature for her age, but Armin supposed that there were times where she just wanted to be a kid. He himself had grown too fast and didn’t want that for his kids, so he caved.

“Fine, go change,” he said and Alice’s face lit up with excitement. “But you have three minutes until your grandfather arrives for the photo.”

 The girl bolted to her shared room with Ambar already pulling at the dress on her way, and Armin took Ambar’s hand to go help Annie, who was changing the little ones in their bedroom. When he got there, Adam was sitting on the bed playing with Annie while Athena slept soundly. They were both dressed, though.

“Where’s Alice?” Annie asked.

“Changing.”

She shook her head and helped Ambar to sit on the bed. Athena didn’t even flinch.

“I told father she wouldn’t like to dress up, but he insisted,” Annie said. She pinned Ambar’s bangs to the side efficiently and it stood in place as if to mock Armin’s efforts. “Also, Athena doesn’t seem to want to wake up.”

For good measure, the youngest of the girls sighed in her sleep, her dark blonde, almost brown hair covering half of her face and damp with sweat.

“We should reschedule,” Armin suggested. Not that he didn’t want a family photo, he did! But it was a lot of work to get the kids ready and please everyone at the same time, he was so tired already.

There was a knock on the door indicating that Mr. Leonhardt had arrived, and Annie stood up.

“Look, we shouldn’t,” she said quickly. “This is the closest we go to getting the kids ready in time, when will we manage again?” There was the knock on the door again and Annie walked to the door. “Plus, let’s just get it out of the way, okay?”

She had a point, Armin had to admit. He looked at Ambar and Adam and the kids smiled at him, easing his tension. He had no idea which clothes Alice would choose, but he was a smart eight-years-old and he trusted her, so he decided to try and wake up Athena, who mumbled and complained the whole time.

“Come on, Pebble,” he said rubbing her back when he picked her up and she nuzzled his neck.

“No,” she said. Now, see, that’s what Armin expected — that the baby complained, not his older kid, but he should know that kids act on their own accord no matter the age, right?

“Let’s say hi to grandpa and take a picture!” he continued, managing to get Adam too.

“Can I go, Daddy?” Ambar asked, still well-mannered sitting on the bed and he nodded. He didn’t know where she took that from, especially considering her friendship with Eren’s boy, but it’s not like he would complain.

“Go,” he said and she jumped from the bed and rushed to the living room.

“Wow!” he heard her exclaim, and the moment Armin stepped into the living room he understood what she meant.

There were so many people there quickly organizing things so they could take the picture. Ambar hurried to her grandpa’s lap, Mr. Leonhardt’s cane next to him on their sofa. The whole thing was so much more than what they agreed to.

“I got him,” Annie said suddenly at Armin’s side, taking Adam from him. He greeted Mr. Leonhardt from the distance with an awkward wave and the man waved too.

“Annie—”

“I told him, but he didn’t listen to me,” she said and sighed. “Let’s get this over with already, please. _ALICE!_ ”

He knew what she meant, the sooner they took the photo, the sooner it’d be over. He liked that plan very much.

“Loud,” Athena complained.

Armin headed to the kitchen with her to wash her face with tap water, try and wake her up better.

“Baby, I’m going to need you to stay awake for a little longer, okay?” he said, helping her to a glass of water, her small hands holding the cup over his. “Let’s do this for grandpa and then we’re free for the rest of the day to do whatever we want. Okay?”

She pushed the cup away and sighed loudly, and then she smiled at Armin.

“Kay,” she said with a nod. He put the cup down, got a dishcloth and dried her face lightly dabbing at her skin, and then he tried to fix her hair as best as he could.

“Okay, let’s go!”

“Almost ready!” the photographer said stepping behind the camera.

Mr. Leonhardt had moved to the armchair, Ambar on his lap talking nonstop about something; Annie stood to his right with Adam in her arms, the boy’s eyes following their guests’ every move, Alice nowhere to be found.

“Alice!” Armin called and then glanced at Annie in a silent conversation that went more or less like _‘why your father always insists on sitting on MY chair’_ and _‘go figure’_.

“COMING!” Alice answered from her room.

Quick light steps hurried to the living room just as Armin stood to Mr. Leonhardt’s left, and he fixed his grip on Athena, who was now smiling at the people hurrying from side to side. Quite the change from the grumpy sleepy baby he was carrying just now.

“I’m ready!” Alice said and hugged her grandfather, kissed his cheek.

Mr. Leonhardt was too shocked to say anything, so Armin put a hand on Alice’s shoulder to guide her and she stood in front of him. She was wearing a long black skirt, a white shirt and Armin’s grandfather’s hat, the tips of her light blonde hair barely visible under the too-big hat that she loved so much.

“Okay, let’s do this!” the photographer said excitedly. “Beautiful family. Smile on one! Three, two—”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading all of the oneshots, I hope you enjoyed them! see you aruani fans soon!

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! kudos and comments are welcome ^^


End file.
